MINING IN PROTECTED AREAS - Mines and Energy Nam · A member of the Organisation of African...

MINING

IN

PROTECTED AREAS

Earth Sciences for Namibia’s Sustainable Development

G SCHNEIDER

by

A member of the Organisation of African Geological Surveys



THE IMPORTANCE OF MINING

FOR THE NAMIBIAN ECONOMY

10% GDP

(largest contributor)

11 % Taxes

50 % Export-earnings

Diamonds:

6 % of world production (value)

95-98% Gemstone quality

Royalties:

5% on unprocessed dimension stone

10% on rough diamonds

1% - 5% on all other commodities



COMMUNAL CONSERVANCIES

+ NATIONAL PARKS

IN NAMIBIA

42% of the country

enjoys a state of

conservation (IUCN

requirement = 15%)



COMMUNAL CONSERVANCIES + NATIONAL

PARKS IN NAMIBIA

Transfrontier Parks: Kavango-Zambesi, Iona, Ai-Ais

Coastal Mega-Park: 10.8 m ha, 6th largest in the World,

largest in Africa

Tourism is 3rd largest contributor to GDP (has overtaken

Fisheries)

Tourism has high job potential (18.6%)

Tourism is fastest growing sector

Recently ranked 22 of 139 countries by tourism index

survey



NAMIBIAN ISLANDS’

MARINE PROTECTED AREA

Meob to Sinclair Island

200 m water depth



NATIONAL HERITAGE IN NAMIBIA



MINING AND EXPLORATION IN PROTECTED AREAS

Hon Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah: “We cannot have natural

resources and not use them, but they must be used sustainably”

With the high % of protected areas in Namibia, it is not

possible to ban exploration and mining in National Parks.

Diamonds: Skeleton Coast Park, Sperrgebiet Park ,

Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area

Uranium: Dorob National Park, Namib-Naukluft Park

Zinc: Sperrgebiet Park

Salt: Dorob Park

Dimension Stone: Dorob Park, Namib Naukluft Park

Gypsum: Namib Naukluft Park

Copper: Namib Naukluft Park

Phosphate: Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area

Semi-precious stones: Brandberg Monument + Spitzkuppe Heritage

Area



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Contribution to GDP

Diamonds 3.6%

Other 5.4

Total 9% (10%)

Production Turn-

over

Tax Royalty Employ-

ment

Diamonds 1 471 000 cts 5 026 m 594 m 503 m 1651

Uranium 1 678 t 1 400 m ---- 32.2 m 268

Zinc 151 688 t 2524 m 14.8 m 11.6 m 682

Salt 872 000 t 352 m 7.7 m 6.6 m 131

Total 9302 m 616.5 m 553.5 m 2732

Contribution to

Taxes + Royalties

1 170 million

= 75.19%



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

2009 2015 2020

% of Exports 13 54 63

Value of Export

(million N$)

5 400 22 700 26 300

Royalties

(million N$)

300 700 800

Corporate Tax

(million N$)

500 1 600 2 500

PAYE (million

N$)

100 500 600

Total (3-5) 900 2 800 3 900

Estimated increase of income from Uranium alone



DIAMONDS

ISO 14001 certified



DIAMONDS: Heritage



DIAMONDS: Rehabilitation MA1



DIAMONDS

Inshore Production

0

50

100

150

200

250

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Car

ats

000'

sC

ara

ts

00

0’

s ITC

USW

SW

MW

INSHORE

INNER SHELF



DIAMONDS: ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Environmental aspects associated with the

operation:

Fine tailings discharge and shoreline

accretion

Shoreline modification (pocket beaches)

Shoreline modification (littoral beaches)

Activities of shore-based divers

Activities of vessel-based divers

Inshore mining influence on surf zone



DIAMONDS Damage to terrestrial

environment

Biodiversity loss of rocky

and sandy intertidal

communities

Loss of habitat through

smothering of subtidal

reefs

Biodiversity loss of subtidal

reef+kelp bed communities

Pollution

Rocky and sandy

beach monitoring

Shallow subtidal zone

monitoring

Rock lobster and kelp

monitoring

Water quality survey

Spill model



OFFSHORE DIAMONDS: Environmental Concerns

Environmental aspects associated with the operation:

Changes to the ecosystem

Climate Change

Use of hazardous materials

Spillages and releases

Use of natural resources

Waste generation + disposal



OFFSHORE DIAMONDS: Impacts + Mitigation

Biodiversity loss

Emissions into the air

and greenhouse gases

Pollution

Impacts on the water

column (tailings plume)

Resource depletion and

impacts on the sea bed

(drill bit action)

Natural variability???

Biodiversity Action Plan

Climate Change Action

Plan

Pollution Prevention and

Waste Management

Lifecycle Planning

EIA

Ongoing assessments

Ongoing monitoring



URANIUM

ISO 14001certified

Langer Heinrich

Mine



URANIUM: Langer Heinrich Mine

Surface +

ground water

Biodiversity

Radiation +

air quality

Archaeology

Traffic

Pollution +

loss of soils

Visual impact

Noise +

vibration

Impacts + Mitigation Proper design of infrastructure to prevent

pollution

Re-instate palaoe-channel at mine closure

Identification of sensitive areas + avoidance

Minimize footprint and restore

Biodiversity offsets in future

Soil stockpile

Nursery and seed collection

Minimize dust

Archaeological survey + rescue archaeology

World War I tourist sites

Financed C28 tarr surface

Gobabeb soil studies

Refill open pit + re-vegetate

Well maintained equipment



STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESS-

MENT OF THE NAMIB URANIUM RUSH

There was a clear need to establish

comprehensive Environmental Baseline data to

underpin environmental assessments (EIAs),

contribute to EMPs and to the over-all process of

progressing with exploration and potential

mining license applications in a National Park.

There was also an urgent need for a a process of

systematic analysis of environmental impacts

which extends the aims and principles of EIA

upstream in the decision making process, beyond

the project level and when major alternatives are

still open (SEA definition according to UNDP,

2002) and a Land use Strategy of all areas

affected by uranium mining, and in particular in

the Namib Naukluft Park.



COPPER + ZINC

Matchless Belt



ZINC: Skorpion Mine

Surface +

ground water

Biodiversity

Air quality

Archaeology

Pollution +

loss of soils

Visual impact

Noise +

vibration

Impacts

+

Mitigation

Integrated risk management system

Prevent and mitigate water pollution

Minimization of waste

Prevent and mitigate ground pollution

Soil stockpile

Prevent and mitigate air pollution

Minimize dust

Archaeological survey

Integrated environmental monitoring and

rehbilitation plan

Draft closure plan

Well maintained equipment



SALT Walvis Bay salt works part of Ramsar Site

Single most important wetland for

migratory birds in

southern Africa

Amongst top 3 in

Africa

Lesser Flamingo

Cape Teal

Black-winged Stilt

Black-necked Grebe

African

Oystercatcher

Plovers



DIMENSION STONE

Policy not to grant

dimension stone

licenses in parks

Pre-existing rights

honoured



PHOSPHATE

The exceptional biological productivity of the

Benguela Current leads to the formation of biogenic

sediments high in phosphorous of organic origin

Phosphorous concentrations can reach 23%

Highest concentrations occur south of the Kunene

mouth and between Swakopmund and Lüderitz

Sedimentary phosphate is one of

the main sources of phosphorous

for fertilizer prodction

Rock phosphate prices increased

from US$ 50/t in 2007 to

US$ 350-400/t in 2008

(currently US$ 200/t)



PHOSPHATE: Impacts + Mitigation

Monitoring of marine

macro-fauna

Minitoring of benthic

fauna

Monitoring of

commercial species

Best practises of

pollution controll



SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES + MINERAL SPECIMEN



SMALL SCALE

MINING

ECOP point Impacts reduced

1. Co-operation

with landowners

Poaching

Litter & waste

Risk of fire

Security risk

Disruption of farming activities

Interference with tourism

2. Mine “light”

and rehabilitate

Visual

Erosion

Interference with tourism

Risk to health & safety of miners

3. Work safely Risk of fire


4. Locate camps

cleverly

Wildlife displacement

Visual

Risk of fire


Damage to archaeological

heritage

5. Waste

management

Litter & waste

Visual

Risk of fire



COOPERATION BETWEEN

THE MINISTRY OF MINES & ENERGY

+ THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & TOURISM

MET representation on Mineral Rights

Committee

MME Vice-Chair of the Environmental

Investment Fund

Conference on Mining in Protected

Areas

NACOMA

Environmental Rehabilitation Sign-off

Sperrgebiet Park Advisory Committee



BENGUELA CURRENT COMMISSION

RESOURCES:

•Fish

•Crustaceans

•Mari-culture products

•Minerals

•Hydrocarbons

•Tourism



MANAGEMENT OF MINING AND DRILLING ACTIVITIES

Regional Consultation Framework

Policy Harmonization

Cumulative Impact Assessment

MANAGEMENT OF POLLUTION

Harmonizing environmental quality objectives

Oil pollution contingency plans and regional policy

MAINTAINANCE OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH +

PROTECTION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Vulnerable species and habitats

Ballast water policy

Marine biological diversity conservation

BENGUELA CURRENT COMMISSION



GONDWANALAND GEOPARK



THANK YOU!

www.mme.gov.na/www.gsn.gov.na

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